5 Top Skills to Get Your Dream Job in the Luxury Industry (2024)

After months of uncertainty, the luxury goods industry is flourishing again and seeking motivated young talents to shape the future of luxury management jobs. So how exactly do candidates go about landing a job in one of the most sought after industries? This article reveals all.

Insider knowledge from the Luxury industry

From Séverine de Bretteville, Wholesale Project Manager – Global markets at Chopard

5 Top Skills to Get Your Dream Job in the Luxury Industry (1)

Séverine de Bretteville boasts over 15 years of experience within the luxury goods & jewelry Industry. Having worked at renowned luxury brands such as Cartier, and today at the family-owned Maison Chopard, she is an expert in the field. She is delighted to share her insights through an interactive exchange with a current student and EHL Alliance Ambassador for Chopard, Ryan M. Laver.

How do you land a job within Luxury goods?

The key to succeeding within luxury is passion—passion for the métier, the Maison, its heritage & products. Passion is essential to convey to clients and to have the genuine ability to create and ignite the dream in the client's mind around the products. Passion continuously drives and motivates you to go the extra mile in delighting clients and making their experience exceptional.

Luxury companies highly value work experience within hospitality and the transferable skills acquired— such as operational internships within a 5* hotel or restaurant. As in high-end retail, it is essential to recognize how to understand clients, to personalize your service towards their expectations, and much more, to create the art of anticipating needs. Luxury industry careers have high expectations of your behavior such as continuously demonstrating excellent manners, practicing your "savoir-vivre" and "savoir-faire," having an impeccable appearance and a carefully curated verbal expression.

Your personality is what makes you stand out from the crowd, and luxury companies seek talents with unique personalities; they want to hear your story and your ability to create moments for clients to experience the brand beyond the product.

Empathy is a key trait for high-end retail when interacting with clients, and you should understand their preferences and passions and, most importantly, discover their personalities. An empathetic ambassador of the Maison will continuously listen to the guest carefully and respect the delicate emotional intangibility of this métier. A careful listener shows genuine interest by overlooking the commercial aspect of luxury retail, aiming to anticipate clients' needs through the highest courtesy of personalization—elevating the client experience and elevating their sentiment towards the brand. Practicing empathy results in a personalized and client-centric approach—leading to higher customer satisfaction. Experience gained within the hospitality sector results in various transferable skills, such as excellent manner, attention to detail, discipline and genuine empathy. This article will highlight how to get a job in the luxury industry and what skills are sought after by employers.

5 skills needed to work in the Luxury industry

#1- Sensitivity

In luxury, you must master the "art of emotion" and the ability to understand how your clients feel and perceive the experience. Sensitivity means to evaluate each interaction and personalize it accordingly using well-refined emotional intelligence, which makes the experience unique and aims to delight the customer.

"In the end, whether they've made a purchase or not, do they feel delighted and happily seduced? Is there a pleasing and memorable experience that will make them want to return?" High-end retail thrives off of crafting memorable and unique moments for customers.

#2- Service-oriented and customer-centric mindset

In a relationship-intensive business such as the luxury industry, continuous excellent service, adequate communication, and institutional memory are necessary, but not sufficient to create a unique relationship between the client and the brand—dedication to personalize the interaction requires an entirely customer-centric mindset.

#3 - An obsession with being detail-oriented

Luxury experiences are crafted through a multisensorial approach—this five-dimensional approach requires the highest attention detail. Ensuring the highest courtesy and quality in client experience adheres you to identify the precise details influencing the CX, i.e., choice of words, tone of voice, natural use of client name, the anticipation of needs through remembering client preferences, etc.

#4 - Patience

The essence of luxury is to allow you to forget about time—it plunges clients into a state of transcendent presence, creating eternal personal value. Working in luxury, one must understand and respect this perpetual and enduring value through adapting themselves to each unique client interaction. Luxury asks that you reinterpret the perception that time and patience are traits that allow you to grasp this sense of understanding.

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#5 - Excellence

Consistency in the luxury customer experience is key to maintaining long-lasting client relationships. It requires a strong dedication, underlined with integrity, in providing excellence throughout all your client interactions—ultimately, excellence is not an accomplishment; it's an attitude, a spirit, and a never-ending process.

One is formatted through standards and processes during the studies and internships, and it is of great added value to experience it. But when relating this to the luxury industry—it is essential to grow beyond those standards and also be unique.


What makes working in luxury goods unique?

The uniqueness of luxury is to ignite a dream—an emotional desirability for a product which is not necessary yet perceived as a unique value.

Working in luxury goods goes beyond selling high-end products; it's about selling a dream. A watch is no longer a necessity; clients seek brands whose story resonates with them. Luxury brands can all wax lyrical about their quality, craftsmanship and heritage, but it's their personality, their way of treating clients, and their story that makes them stand out from the crowd and allow them to connect emotionally with the client. This emotional and intangible aspect makes luxury a unique sphere, and makes working for luxury companies extremely exciting.

Emotions are at the core in creating a luxury experience, yet at the same time, it creates the need to be consistent in conveying the brand philosophy and values. This is what makes luxury management jobs so unique as it's the challenge of keeping the right balance between company standards and service personalization.

They bring a whole new strategic approach compared to any other industry—it's in luxury where every small detail matters, whether it's the choice of wording in a client invitation, the fabric used in the uniforms or the scent used in the boutiques. Working in luxury goods is like being in an orchestra; each position has its own distinguished purpose and depends on the careful collaboration with each other—together creating something beautiful and unique. Diving into luxury companies, you will discover how well-curated and deeply knowledgeable each function is. And finally, people don't buy luxury goods for logical reasons; they buy for emotional reasons.

5 Top Skills to Get Your Dream Job in the Luxury Industry (3)

5 Top Skills to Get Your Dream Job in the Luxury Industry (4)

Written by

EHL Bachelor Student & EHL Alliance Ambassador

5 Top Skills to Get Your Dream Job in the Luxury Industry (5)

Written by

Séverine de Bretteville

Wholesale Project Manager – Global markets, Chopard

5 Top Skills to Get Your Dream Job in the Luxury Industry (2024)

FAQs

What skills are required for luxury branding? ›

Overall, working in the luxury industry requires a range of skills and knowledge. Understanding the customer, managing a team, having excellent research and analytical skills, and having strong marketing skills are all essential to success in the industry.

What skills do I need to be successful for my dream job? ›

8 'Soft' Skills You Really Need to Land Your Dream Job
  • Critical Thinking/Problem Solving. ...
  • Attention to Detail. ...
  • Communication. ...
  • Ownership. ...
  • Leadership. ...
  • Interpersonal Skills. ...
  • Grit. ...
  • Curiosity.
Feb 17, 2017

Why do you want to work in luxury industry? ›

The growth of the business and alluring career prospects have continuously attracted more people to the luxury industry. A career in luxury brands has the power to give you a global projection, working with elite companies with headquarters around the world and collaborating with public figures and recognizable names.

How to be successful in luxury retail? ›

10 Must-Know Tips For Selling Luxury Retail
  1. Make it about the customer. ...
  2. Do not ignore the value. ...
  3. Add-on features and suggestions should be relevant. ...
  4. Looks matter. ...
  5. Set the expectations right. ...
  6. Do not over expect when you are selling. ...
  7. Don't dwell on past errors. ...
  8. Be on the same page as the customer.
Mar 11, 2020

What are the big five of luxury brand personality? ›

Results suggest that there exist five distinct luxury personality dimensions including tradition, modesty, elitism, eccentricity and sensuality. They help brand managers to develop distinct brand personalities by encouraging them to decide between contrasting traits.

Which are the 3 major characteristics of a luxury brand? ›

There are several characteristics that are often associated with luxury brands, including exclusivity, high quality, and exceptional customer service. Other common characteristics of luxury brands include a strong brand identity and image, a premium price point, and a focus on craftsmanship and attention to detail.

What is the best answer for dream job? ›

When answering about your dream job, you can include what kind of work environment and company culture you would prefer to work and how it will positively impact you. You can say it like you want to be in a warm, inviting work environment and working collaboratively in a team.

What are the 8 soft skills? ›

The most important soft skills in today's workplace include communication, time management, multitasking, teamwork, critical thinking, decision-making, self-motivation, and leadership.

What makes a dream job a dream job? ›

The phrase “dream job” is often used to describe a paid gig that's almost too good to be true – it's fun, it's exciting, it's rewarding and it pays well. The work is the kind of stuff you might be doing even if there was no money in it. Dream jobs may not be easy to find, but they're certainly worth pursuing.

What is luxury best answer? ›

Luxury is very great comfort, especially among beautiful and expensive surroundings. He leads a life of luxury. A luxury item is something expensive which is not necessary but which gives you pleasure.

What makes a luxury experience? ›

What is luxury experience? Conventional wisdom suggests that luxury experience is achieved by offering the highest quality in any of the elements that mass brands also offer. For example, the product offered should be of exceptional quality.

Why do you think this industry is right for you best answer? ›

I see this opportunity as a way to contribute to an exciting/forward-thinking/fast-moving company/industry, and I feel I can do so by/with my …” “I feel my skills are particularly well-suited to this position because …” “I believe I have the type of knowledge to succeed in this role and at the company because …”

What are the key success factors of a luxury brand? ›

Let's look at 11 other key success factors that luxury brands use to attract more customers.
  • Customizable Products. ...
  • Experiential Event Marketing. ...
  • A Flagship Store. ...
  • Authentic Identity. ...
  • Perception of Value. ...
  • Exclusivity. ...
  • Great Service. ...
  • Stylish Products.
Aug 30, 2022

How do you position yourself as a luxury brand? ›

How Do You Position Your Brand as a Luxury Brand?
  1. Be authentic. It's authentic. ...
  2. Create an exclusive image for your product or service. This can be done by means of design, packaging or other factors. ...
  3. Make sure your marketing materials and digital presence scream luxury. ...
  4. Product/Service. ...
  5. Price. ...
  6. Distribution. ...
  7. Promotion.

What makes a good a luxury good? ›

In economics, a luxury good (or upmarket good) is a good for which demand increases more than what is proportional as income rises, so that expenditures on the good become a greater proportion of overall spending. Luxury goods are in contrast to necessity goods, where demand increases proportionally less than income.

What are the 5 personality traits of a brand? ›

There are five main types of brand personalities with common traits. They are excitement, sincerity, ruggedness, competence, and sophistication. Customers are more likely to purchase a brand if its personality is similar to their own.

Which are the three most important factors influencing the future of luxury? ›

Sustainability, purpose, and ESG visibility are now expectations. Today's consumers expect luxury brands to be purpose-driven and use their product offerings to advance their organizational values.

What are the Big Five traits model? ›

The five broad personality traits described by the theory are extraversion (also often spelled extroversion), agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism.

What are the six criteria of luxury? ›

While everyday goods may focus their advertising around ideas about value, use, price, and ease, an effective luxury brand marketing strategy encompasses messages of status, quality, craftsmanship, prestige, heritage, and exclusivity.

What are the key principles of luxury? ›

Eight principles of luxury
  • 1 Vision sets tone. ...
  • 2 Mystery heightens appeal. ...
  • 3 Obsession generates excellence. ...
  • 4 Origins become touchstones. ...
  • 5 EQ anticipates needs. ...
  • 6 Exclusivity ups the ante. ...
  • 7 Appearance conveys status. ...
  • 8 Expense is reassuring.

What are 5 example of luxury goods? ›

Examples of Luxury Items
  • Haute couture clothing and fur coats.
  • Accessories, such as jewelry and high-end watches.
  • Luggage.
  • A high-end automobile, such as a sports car.
  • A yacht.
  • Wine.
  • Homes and estates.

How do I stand out for my dream job? ›

How to Be a Standout Candidate and Land Your Dream Job
  1. Make sure your online profiles are complete. ...
  2. Make smart connections before the interview. ...
  3. Be remembered for something before the interview. ...
  4. Deliver well during the interview. ...
  5. Leave a lasting impression. ...
  6. A little planning goes a long way.

Why should we hire you answers? ›

Q1: How do I answer the question, "Why should we hire you?" A: When answering, focus on your relevant skills, experience, and achievements that make you the best fit for the role. Highlight how you can contribute to the company's success and address their specific needs and requirements.

Why should we hire you? ›

“I should be hired for this role because of my relevant skills, experience, and passion for the industry. I've researched the company and can add value to its growth. My positive attitude, work ethics, and long-term goals align with the job requirements, making me a committed and valuable asset to the company.”

What are 5 hard skills and soft skills? ›

List of hard and soft skills
Hard skillsSoft skills
Project managementNegotiating
Programming skillsCritical thinking
Social Media MarketingCreative thinking
BookkeepingWork ethic
49 more rows
Jun 17, 2023

What are 5 soft skills? ›

Soft skills make or break the hiring decision

If they can't communicate, be engaged, participate fully, think critically or demonstrate leadership, it doesn't matter how technically qualified they are.

What is a key ingredient of a dream job? ›

Dream jobs differ from person to person, but they usually share a few common attributes: They are engaging: Dream jobs keep you engaged and challenged. They help others: Dream jobs help others directly or indirectly. They use your talents: Dream jobs use your specific talents and skills.

What is a dream job or career? ›

A dream career is a job that is best suited to an individual's passions, talents and goals. You may find a job that suits these aspects of your personality by exploring your interests, skills and values to determine what motivates you.

What makes a great job? ›

A good job is a position that allows you to meet your basic needs, such as shelter and safety, while giving you the tools and resources to do your best work. These jobs can motivate you to do your work efficiently, encourage you to stay with an employer longer and improve your morale in the workplace.

What is a good sentence for luxury? ›

Example Sentences

Right now a new car is a luxury that I can't afford. On my salary, I can afford few luxuries. We were lucky to have the luxury of choosing from among several good options. We can't afford the luxury of waiting any longer.

What defines luxury for you? ›

/ˈləgʃəri/ Other forms: luxuries. A luxury is something that is pleasant to have or experience, but it is not necessary. For example, eating in a restaurant is a luxury — you can always cook and eat at home.

What is an example sentence for luxury good? ›

I should have welcomed an extra tax on luxury goods. I think that there might have been a cut in road programmes, and that his suggestion on taxes on luxury goods would have been reasonable. People buy luxury goods because they have the money to buy them.

What does it take to be a luxury brand? ›

The ten luxury brand values as defined by Danziger are superior performance, craftsmanship, exclusivity, innovation, sense of place & time, sophistication & design aesthetic, creative expression, relevance, heritage, and responsibility.

How do you get into luxury branding? ›

Actually interning directly from the beginning at a luxury fashion brand is the best option because you'll understand the dynamic of this segment of the industry. If you know that your end goal is to get an internship or job at a luxury fashion brand, then start directly with one of these brands.

What are the requirements for luxury brand management? ›

To become a luxury brand manager, you must have a bachelor's degree in either business, consumer psychology, luxury brand management, marketing, hospitality or fashion management. Luxury brand management is a specialization at the master's level at most universities across the world.

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